Time indicating devices



1968 o. M. TAYLOR ETAL 3,410,082

TIME INDICATING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb.

INVENTORS. OLIVE M. TAYLOR PHYLLIS M. PERRY cam ATTORNEY O. M. TAYLOR ETAL TIME INDICATING DEVICES Nov. 12, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1966 FIG?) MINUTES I I I I I I I I INVENTORS OLIVE M. TAYLOR BY PHYLLIS M. PERRY ATTO RN Y United States Patent Office Patented Nov. 12, 1968 3,410,082 TIME INDICATING DEVICES Olive M. Taylor, 42 Perkins St., Charlestown, Mass. 02129, and Phyllis M. Perry, Caldwell St., North Weymouth, Mass. 02191 Filed Feb. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 525,713 12 Claims. (Cl. 58-50) The present invention relates to devices for indicating time by closing circuits to electric lamps for different intervals and in combination of different intervals to indicate time progressions through a predetermined time unit.

Clocks, indicating time in a conventional fashion, are widely used in outdoor advertising as the time is of interest to passing motorists. As advertising depends for its effectiveness, on its drawing attention and holding interest, there is need for a device indicating time on a novel basis and the provision of such devices, for this and other uses, is the general objective of this invention. As an example of other uses, reference is made to the desirability of being able to determine time at a distance such that the hands of a conventional clock cannot be discerned.

In accordance with the invention, this objective is attained with a device provided with a series of lamps, each in a lead having a switch. A rotatable member, driven at a predetermined rate, is disposed relative to the switches to define an annular path, one for each switch. The rotatable member has cams in such paths disposed to so operate the switches as to effect the closing of the leads for various intervals and combinations of such intervals to indicate time progression through a predetermined time unit. The device may comprise a plurality of such members, each controlling a series of lamp-containing leads, with one preferably driven at a predetermined different rate by another.

Time indication may be effected by the lamp arrangement, their color, or displaced numerical values for each lamp as examples of ways by which values can be attributed to lights than can be added together to indicate time progression.

In the accompanying drawings, the-re is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages will be apparent.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic view of the device,

FIGURE 2 is a view of the cams, the cams being shown as of a different radius but arranged concenetrically, illustrating their relative lengths and spacings,

FIGURE 3 is a view of blackened block areas, in graph form, of the minutes and hour, closed circuit combinations, to illustrate the additions of their values in indicating time progression,

FIGURE 4 is a view illustrating one lamp arrangement.

The device illustrated by the drawings is for indicating the hours and minutes, through a twelve hour period, by means of the series of lamps 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and and the series of lamps 11, 12, 13 and 14. In this embodiment of the invention, the lamp 5 is to be regarded as a one minute lamp, the lamp 6 as a two minute lamp, the lamp 7 as a four minute lamp, and the lamp 8 as an eight minute lamp. The lamps 9 and 10 are, respectively, fifteen and thirty minute lamps. The lamp 11 is a one hour lamp, the lamp 12 is a two hour lamp and the lamps 13 and 14 are, respectively, four and eight hour lamps. These designations represent the count value of these lamps when turned on as the numbers one, two, four, eight, fifteen, and thirty by themselves and in combinations may indicate the numbers one through sixty and the numbers one, two, four, and eight separately and in combinations may be used to indicate numbers from one through twelve.

The lamps 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are each in respective ones of the first series of leads 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 of the circuit 21 while the lamps 11, 12, 13, and 14 are in respective ones of the second series of leads 22, 23, 24, and 25 of the circuit 26. One lamp arrangement is suggested by FIGURE 4 wherein a panel 27 has a series of windows 28, each shown as marked with the number representing the minute or minutes value of the lamp behind it when illuminated, a pair of windows 29 similarly marked for the fifteen and thirty minute value lamps, and a series of windows 30 each marked to indicate the time value of the lamp behind it when its circuit is closed. Once a predetermined order such as the above is predetermined, time can be determined by the position of the light or lights without the numerical values shown in association therewith and this is also true where color designations are relied on.

Each lead includes a switch identified by the suflix addition A to the reference numeral for that lead. The switches are indicated as being of the normally open type adapted to be closed by a cam, each switch being provided with a cam follower and indicated by the suffix addition B to the reference numeral for the lead in which that switch is included.

A rotor 31, whose supporting structure is now shown, is disposed relative to the switches in the first series of leads as to provide annular paths, one for each switch cam follower, the paths including actuating cams, the arrangements of which may best be seen in FIGURE 2.

The rotor 31 is illustrated as a sixty minute timer and one path has a series of circumferentially spaced cams including cams 32 and 33. The cams 32 being dimensioned to closethe switch 15A for one minute and the cams 33 being dimensioned to close it for two minutes but roviding only one minute counts in combinations. The cams of this series are spaced apart a distance such as to open the switch 15A for one minute. For reasons that will presently be apparent, there are six earns 32 between each two cams 33.

Another rotor path has a series of cams 34, each dimensioned to close the switch 16A for two minutes and spaced from the others by a distance equal to either two or minute intervals. The cams 34 are spaced relative to the cams 32 and 33 so that, starting at zero, first a cam 32 closes the switch 15A to the lamp 5 for a one minute interval, and then the cam 34 closes the switch 16A for a two minute interval during the second of which the circuit 15 to the lamp 5 is again closed with the lamps 5 and 6 together providing a three minute indicating combination.

Another rotor path has a series of earns 35, each dimensioned to close the switch 17A for four minutes and spaced from the others by a distance representing either three or four minute intervals and spaced relative to the cams 32-34 so that it is operative to close the switch 17A to provide a four minute value by itself and, in combination with the cams 3234, five, six, and seven minute counting values.

The four minute gaps between the cams 35 are located to coincide with any one of a series of four cams 36 along a fourth rotor path becoming operative to close the switch 18A. Each cam 36 is dimensioned to close the switch 18A for an eight minute interval and is spaced from the others by a distance equivalent to seven minutes. Each is spaced relative to the previously described cams so as to close the switch 18A from the ninth through the fifteenth minute to provide in combination with the cams 3235, count values from one to fifteen minutes.

The rotor 31 has a fifth path provided with a pair of cams 37 each of which is dimensioned to close the switch 19A for a period of fifteen minutes and is spaced from the other by a distance representing a fifteen minute interval. As the previously described cams have controlled the lamps so that they indicate a time progression of fifteen minutes, one cam 37 represents, in conjunction with the cams 32-36, an interval of from sixteen to thirty minutes and the other cam 37 comes into service, in conjunction with the cams 32-36, during the forty-sixth and sixtieth minutes indications. For that reason the earns 33 are located to provide minute counting values at the beginning and end of each fifteen minute interval.

A sixth path of the rotor 31 has a single cam 38 of sufficient arcuate extent to effect the closing of the switch A for a thirty minute interval after the first half hour count, the other cams controlling the respective lamps in the manner previously described to complete a full sixty minute cycle.

A second rotor 39 is disposed by supporting structure, not shown, relative to the second series of leads so as to provide annular paths, one for each cam follower end of the switches in the second series of leads. Four such paths are shown, one path having a series of six cams 40, corresponding to the earns 32 in that they provide a counting value of one, a series of three earns 41 corresponding to the cams 34 in that they provide a counting value of two, a third path provided with earns 42 and 43 providing counting values of four, and a fourth path having a cam 44 providing a counting value of eight. With the rotor 39 driven at one-twelfth the rate of the rotor 31,

the values of the cams 40-44 and the lamps 11 14 are in terms of hours. The cams and their arrangement may best be seen in FIGURE 2.

As will be apparent from FIGURE 2, a cam 40 effects the closing of the circuit 22 to the lamp 11 during the interval representing the hour from one to two oclock and every other hour thereafter. A cam 41 becomes operative to close the circuit 23 to the lamp 12 for the two hour period from two oclock through three oclock and every other two hour period thereafter thus to provide one, two, and three hour counts by itself and in conjunction with the lamp 11. At the start of the fourth hour, the cam 42 closes the lead 24 to the lamp 13 for a four hour period with the cams 4t and 41 cooperating therewith to place the lamps 11 and 12 in service in combination therewith and with each other to provide visual indication of the fifth, sixth, and seventh hours. At the start of the eighth hour, only the cam 44 is in circuit-closing service and it is dimensioned to effect the closing of the lead to the lamp 14 for the hours of eight oclock to one oclock. The cams and 41 cooperate, separately and in combination, with the cam 44 to establish visual indication of the hours of nine, ten, and eleven oclock while the cam 43 is operative between the hour of twelve and one oclock to again close the circuit to the lamp 13 which, having a four hour value, provides, in combination with the lamp 14, a visual indication of the twelfth hour.

The rotor 31 is shown as having a stud 45 engageable with teeth 46 on the rotor 39 thus to step the rotor 39 once on each revolution of the rotor 31. The rotor 31 is shown as being held against reverse rotation by a pawl 47 and stepped by the pivoted driver 48 on an arm 49 shown as mounted on the axle 50 of the rotor 31 for rotation independently thereof. The arm 49 is pivotally connected to the stem 51 of the electro-magnet 52 which is in a circuit 53 having a switch 54 closed once every minute by the cam 55 driven by the synchronous motor 56.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the invention provides novel basis for indicating time progression usually, but not necessarily, in terms of hours and minutes by closing circuits to lights, individually and in combinations. Various ways may be used to enable the time values of the lights to be determined as by their arrangement, color, or associated numerical values. The

simplest lamp circuits have been shown but the circuitry and the control means therefor that are used will depend on such factors as the size and location of the devices. The detailed lamp values are a preferred example but other values may be used.

We claim:

1. In a device for indicating time by electric lamps, a series of leads each including a switch and an electric lamp, a rotatable member disposed relative to said switches so that each switch is in engagement therewith in a predetermined annular path, the paths being axially spaced, and means to turn said member at a predetermined rate, said rotatable member including switchactuating cams in said paths operable to cause the switches to effect the closing of the leads for intervals and, combinations of intervals to indicate time progression through a predetermined time unit, said intervals and combination of intervals being numerically equal to the time progression which said lamp or combination of lamps associated therewith represent.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the lamps are each of a different color.

3. The device of claim 1 in which a different numerical interval designation is associated with each lamp.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the several lamps are arranged in the order of progression of the interval they represent.

5. The device of claim 1 and a second series of leads each including a switch and an electric lamp, a second rotatable member disposed relative to the switches of the second series of leads so that each switch thereof is in engagement therewith in a predetermined annular path, the paths being axially spaced, and a driving connection between the rotatable members operable to turn the second member at a predetermined slower rate, said second member including switch-actuating cams in said paths operable to cause the switches of the second series of leads to effect the closing thereof for predetermined different intervals, each greater than any interval provided by the first named rotatable member, and, in combinations of such intervals, time progression through a predetermined time unit greater than the time unit provided by the first named rotatable member, said intervals and combination of intervals being numerically equal to the time progression which said lamp or combination of lamps associated therewith represent.

6. The device of claim 1 in which the means to turn the rotatable member is of the step-by-step type.

7. The device of claim 1 in which the means to turn the rotatable member includes a synchronous motor, a circuit including a switch controlled thereby and a solenoid, and a pawl and ratchet connection with the rotatable member operated by the solenoid.

8. The device of claim 5 in which the connection between the members effects the stepping of the second member relative to the first member.

9. The device of claim 1 in which the device counts minutes.

10. The device of claim 5 in which the second member is driven to count hours.

11. The device of claim 1 in which there are six leads and the cams effect their closing by themselves for one, two, four, eight, fifteen and thirty minute intervals.

12. The device of claim 5 in which there are four leads in the second series and the cam of the second rotatable member effects their closing for one, two, four, and eight hour intervals.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,015,094 12/1961 Reynolds 5850 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

EDITH C. SIMMONS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR INDICATING TIME BY ELECTRIC LAMPS, A SERIES OF LEADS EACH INCLUDING A SWITCH AND AN ELECTRIC LAMP, A ROTATABLE MEMBER DISPOSED RELATIVE TO SAID SWITCHES SO THAT EACH SWITCH IS IN ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH IN A PREDETERMINED ANNULAR PATH, THE PATHS BEING AXIALLY SPACED, AND MEANS TO TURN SAID MEMBER AT A PREDETERMINED RATE, SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER INCLUDING SWITCHACTUATING CAMS IN SAID PATHS OPERABLE TO CAUSE THE SWITCHES TO EFFECT THE CLOSING OF THE LEADS FOR INTERVALS AND, COMBINATIONS OF INTERVALS TO INDICATE TIME PROGRESSION THROUGH A PREDETERMINED TIME UNIT, SAID INTERVALS AND COMBINATIONS OF INTERVALS BEING NUMERICALLY EQUAL TO THE TIME PROGRESSION WHICH SAID LAMP OR COMBINATION OF LAMPS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH REPRESENT. 